Katherine Woodman‘s time in the Big Brother 27 house came to an end on Thursday, August 28, after a 7-1 vote, but she’s leaving with no regrets — especially when it comes to her headline-making showmance with fellow houseguest Rylie Jeffries.
The 23-year-old houseguest was evicted after becoming a replacement nominee for Head of Household Vince Panaro following Mickey Lee‘s Veto win. Looking back, Katherine believes her controversial connection with Rylie actually extended her stay. “I think I would’ve left a lot sooner,” Katherine exclusively tells Men’s Journal following her eviction. “Really, I think with Mickey’s HOH takeover, I was going to go home that week. Even if Rylie had pushed for me to stay, people told me straight up, ‘He’s staying over you.’ So I don’t think it hurt my game necessarily. He genuinely saved my life in the game.”
While their intense showmance sparked concern and conversation outside the house, Katherine is defending their connection against the perception that he was aggressive toward her. “I did not feel uncomfortable at any moment,” she says. “I definitely don’t want that to be out there. Rylie is a six-foot-five bull rider that curses a lot, and if you’re not living with him 24/7 for six weeks straight, it could seem like something in a totally different light than what it is. It’s passionate versus something negative.”
She adds that the intensity of the Big Brother house likely only amplified outside perceptions. “I think those bumps are a little bit more aggressive in the Big Brother house,” she says. “But I know my feelings in the moment, and I’m very sure of myself. I never felt like anything was being done wrong to me.”
Katherine thinks his presence may have even helped her game. “He probably chilled me out a little bit,” she shares. “I think being even more aggressive with my conversations wouldn’t have helped me this past week. It was a slippery slope to navigate, and Rylie made my game slightly less aggressive.”
Now on the outside, Katherine is still invested in how the season plays out – and who she’s rooting for may surprise fans. “Vince and Rachel [Reilly] — I want to see them in final two together,” Katherine tells MJ. “If I were on jury, she would absolutely have my vote, because wow, how did they let her get that far? She’s the only returning cast member, so yeah, I am rooting for that to happen. I would like to see Vince regret his decision of sending me home instead of putting Rachel on the block. And the best way to see that is in a final two with them together.”
Her complicated relationship with Rachel inside the house was no secret as Katherine admits she struggled with separating game from personal feelings. “I think I got a little bit of a read on her that I didn’t love and I felt like she crossed some personal boundaries,” she explains. “Maybe I’m not as good at separating game from personal. But as a mother and as someone in a showmance, I thought she would have a little bit more sensitivity toward me. The lies from her hurt a little bit more. I think I coped a little with humor, and some of that humor might not have been taken as humor.”
Though she fell short of jury, Katherine says she’s grateful for the experience and already willing to do it all again. “I’m extremely happy I did it and I honestly already wish I could do it again,” she says with a laugh. “Not like next week, but definitely. I loved being there. I loved competing. And I’m a sore loser, so I’m like, oh, let me try again, please.”
Big Brother airs Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 8 p.m. ET. You can also catch the 24/7 live feeds on on Paramount+ and Pluto TV.
